1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information by using a card-like information recording medium as a recording medium and, more particularly, to an apparatus for transporting a card-like recording medium, which is arranged in a cleaning device for removing fingerprints, oil, dust, or the like from a surface of the recording medium. The transporting apparatus is suitably used as an apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information on and/or from a card-like optical information medium (to be referred to as an optical card, hereinafter) or a card-like magnetic recording medium (to be referred to as a magnetic card, hereinafter), or as a card-like information recording medium transporting apparatus arranged in a cleaning device for cleaning the surface of the recording medium.
2. Related Background Art
Recording media for reproducing information with a light beam after information is recorded with a light beam are card-, disk-, and tape-like media. Of these types of media, an optical card is the most promising, due to easy fabrication, portability and easy access.
In an optical card, a plurality of parallel straight information tracks are formed in a predetermined area of the card surface. In an information recording/reproducing apparatus using an optical card as its recording medium, an optical beam spot is continuously moved relative to the optical card surface along the direction of the information tracks. In this manner, information is recorded or reproduced. When the optical beam spot has scanned a predetermined distance, the beam spot is moved by a predetermined distance in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the information tracks. During this perpendicular movement, information is not recorded or reproduced. The spot is then moved relative to the card surface along the direction of the information track, and information is recorded in or reproduced from the corresponding track. Then, the beam spot is alternately scanned in the direction parallel to the direction of the information track and in the direction perpendicular thereto a desired number of times.
However, such an optical card tends to be adversely influenced by dust, fingerprints, and the like attached to the surface of the recording medium. If a fingerprint is attached to the surface of the recording medium, recording or reproduction of information cannot be performed, in the worst case.
Attachment of dust, fingerprints, and the like on the surface of the recording medium in the optical card typically occurs when the card is loaded into or unloaded from the apparatus. When a user accidentally touches the surface of the recording medium in the card, dust or fingerprints is attach to it. When the user waits for the card in the standby position so as to remove the card, partial ejection of the recording medium surface of the card outside the apparatus may cause attachment of dust on the recording medium surface.